Wrench



w. B. SMALL WRENCH Filed Nov. s, 195o Nov. 17, 1931.

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PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM B. SMALLVOF RACINE, WISCONSN WRENCH Application filed November thisservice, and for this reason cold chisels have been commonly used for removing and replacing the nuts, with liability of damage to the Wheels.

t is an object of the present invention to provide a close quarter Wrench of simple, durable, and inexpensive construction, which is well adapted for this service although capable of general use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wrench which includes a detachable annular nut-receiving socket capable of being easily slipped over the valve stem of a tire on a wire wheel even though the valve stem is fairly close to the adjacent spokes, and which has a detachable gearing connection with an easily removable driving handle, the device being so constructed that the nut may be driven with the valve stem extending through the socket.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wrench of this character in which the .geared parts of the Wrench are retained in their operative position by spring means, which also serves to hold a handle member in operative position.

A further object of the invention is to per fect details of the construction generally.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a wrench embodying the invention, as it appears when used on a valve stem nut of a tire-carrying wire wheel, parts of the Wheel and tire being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the wrench taken along the line 2-2 of Fie'. l; i

3, 1930. SeralNo. 493,021.

ig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the Wrench as it appears ready to receive the nut-driving .socketV member thereon, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section, and

ldig. l is a bottom view of the Wrench with the socket member removed and in position to receive this member.`

- ln thesev drawings, the numeral 10 designates the rim of a Wirewlieel provided with the usual spokes 11 and carrying a tire casing 12 in which an inner tube 13 is enclosed. The inner tube 13 carries a bent valve stem 14, which is provided with the usual threaded shank receiving a nut 15. The laterally pro- Jectlng portion of the valve stein extends between the spokes 11, which are usually in close proximity thereto.

The wrench of this invention includes an annularsocket member V16 which is adapted to be slipped over the bent valve stem 14 and has a polygonal recess 17 to receive the nut above the recess 17, the socket member is provided with a large cylindrical bore 18, so as to reduce the radial thickness of the socket member to a minimum consistent with requirements of strength; In this manner, the socket member can beeasily 4slipped over the bent valve stem let and may assume varions positions eccentric to the stem for peri mittingthe socket member to pass the closely spaced spokes 11, which are usually in crossed relation in the vicinity of the valve stem.

The socket member 16 is provided at the edge opposite the recess 17 with gear teeth forming a bevel gear 19. This gear meshes with a bevel gear 2O formed on the end of a tubular sha-ft 21, the gear 20 being preferably, although not necessarily, smaller than the gear 19. The tubular shaft 21 is provided with a shouldered bor-e 22 receiving therein a shouldered rod 23 on which the shaft is journalled and slidably mounted. The tubular shaft 21 is also ournalled in a bearing'member 2-1 against which the gear 20 has an axial thrust, the bearing member and tubular shaft being retained against relativeaxial movement by a pin 25 secured in the bearing member and entering an annular groove 26 formed about the shaft. The lower end of the bearing member 24 carries 'lli a hook 27 having a curved edge portion bearing against a shoulder 28 formed about the socket member 16 to retain the ineshed gears iittiiig` in the bore 13 of the socket memberVV 16. The upper end of the ear-29 iixedly carries a pin 31, which extends in parallel relation to the axis of the shaft 21 and is slidably received in an apertured upper portion of the bearing member 2st, thus retaining the fork member 30 and the bearing member Q4; against relative rotation while permitting their relative axial displacement. Near its outer end, the rod 23 is provided with an annular rib 32 which `is spaced outwardly from the end of the tubular shaft 21 to receive between them a compressed coiled spring 33 surrounding` the rod 23, as seen in Fig. Q. An exteriorly kiiurled tubular handle sleeve 3e encloses the spring 33 and at its inner end Vportion slidably fit-s about the tubular shaft Q1. Near its outer end, the handle sleeve 34 is provided with an inwardly shouldered portion 35 slidably receiving therethrough the outer end portion of the rod and bearing against the rib 3Q. Near its inner end. the tubular handle sleeve has adetachable connection with the tubular shaft 31 consisting, in the present instance, of a bayonet slot 36 in the liandle sleeve receiving a screw 37 threaded raf dially into the tubular shaft 21. The coiled spring 33 thus not only urges the ear 29 of the fork member 30 toward the gear Q0, but also retains the handle sleevein position. The handle sleeve may be readily remover from the tubular shaft Q1 and be replaced by a longer sleeve iii the event that this isinade necessary by the work at hand,

After the socket member is applied to the valve stein nut in the manner heretofore described. it is ready to receivey its complementary operating device. To apply the operating device, the fork member 30 is urged away from the bearing member 24, as indicated in 3 and l1, and this is done either by liolding'the tubular handle sleeve in the hand and pushing the pin 31 with the thumb of the hand, or by holding the handle sleeve in the tin-efe s and pushing the palmV of the hand ag inst the protruding outer end of the rod F33. The fork member 30 is then free to be passed between the spokes of the wh-eel to straddle the threaded portion of the Vvalve stem and to be entered into the bore 18 of the socket member. After such entry, the tubular shaft 21 is released to permit the spring 33 to urge the gear 2O into mesh with the gear, and to sim ltaneously place the hooked Vend 27 of the bearing member 24: against the shoulder 28 of the socket member. The nut 15 is then rotated by turning the handle sleeve 34 on its axis to back the nut ai Yay from the rim.

,g rllie nut may be thus rotated until 1t is released from the threaded portion of the valve stem, or after a few turns of the nut, the driving device may be released from the socket member and the init spun oit with the lingers. ln either case, the handle sleeve is removed froni the socket member to permit the Socket member and the nut to be slipped off thebent portion of the valve stem. If the Vnut engages the rim so tightly 'that it cannot be loosened by rotating the handle sleeve on its own axis, the nut may be readily loosened byswingingtlie handle sleeve as a lever about'tlie axis of the socket member, prior to the rotation of the handle sleeve on its own axis. lliheii the handle sleeve is to `be released frein the socket member, it is only necessary to back olf the gear 2O tronithe gear 19, simultaneously with trie releaseof the hoek 27 from the shoulder :23, thus'permitting the fork member 3Q to be Vlifted out of the bore 13 in the cylindrical member and withdra vn laterally from the Vvalve stem.

vThen the uut is to be replaced on the Vvalve stem, it is slipped overltlie beiitportion of the Avalve stein of the threaded shank thereof, and following this the socket member 16 is also slipped over the valve stein` in the manner heretofore described. 'lfhe driving device is then engaged with the socket member by the manipulation above noted fornefliecting the rotation of the nut.

.The spring 33 serves to retain the handle assembly firmly in driving engagement with thevsocket member, but this assembly is easil;7 and single-handedly releasable therefrom. During the. useoftliedevice, there ,is a slight4 outward axial thrust ori the gear 20, but this thrust is etli'ectively resisted by the lspring 33.

`lllhile close quarter wrenches including gearing connections have heretofore been devised, and particularly wrenches embodying vbevel gears, lsuch wrenches have been unsuitable vfor operations ofthe type herein contemplated, especially where the threaded member extends a considerable distance through thevnut. Although the wrench of the present invention is particularly adapted forl use with valve stein nnts,`it will be obvious that the device isnot restricted to such use.

Vfhen nuts of different sizes are to be ina nipulated by the wrench, it is only necessary to substitute other socket members for attachment to the `same operating device. .ln some instances, an adapter may be inserted .in the socket men'iber forbandling a smaller nut.

lVhat'Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wrench comprising a rotatable wrench element, a gear carried on said element, a guide member releasably journalled in said element and disposed substantially co-axially of said element, a rod carried by said guide member, a tubular shaft journalled on said rod, a gear carried on said tubular shaft and releasably meshing With said first-named gear, spring means for urging said lastnamed gear toward said guide member, and a retaining member carried on said tubular shaft and having a releasable connection With exterior portions of said Wrench element for retaining said gears in meshing engagement.

2. A Wrench comprising an annular socket member adapted to receive a nut therein and adapted to receive a threaded nut-carrying member therethrough, a gear carried on said socket member, a forked guide member releasably journalled in said socket member and disposed substantially co-axially of said socket member, said forked guide member being adaptedto straddle said threaded member and being laterally removable therefrom, a gear operatively connected to said guide member and releasably meshing With said first gear, handle means for rotating said second gear, and means for releasably retainin( said gears in meshing engagement.

3. A Wrench comprising a rotatable Wrench element, a gear on said element, a second gear releasably meshing with said lirst gear, means for rotating said second gear, a pair of members releasably and slidably engaging the inner and outer surfaces of said Wrench element for relative rotation therewith, and means for supporting and retaining said last-named members in assembled relation When said Wrench element is Withdrawn from said members.

4l. A Wrench comprising a rotatable Wrench element having an exterior shoulder, a guide member releasably journalled in said element, a gear on said element, a second gear releasably meshing With said first gear, a

f retaining member operatively connected With said second gear and having a laterally sep-v arable engagement With the shoulder of said Wrench element for retaining said gears in meshing engagement, and means for rotating said second gear. o

A Wrench comprising a rotatable Wrench element, a gear carried on said element, a second gear releasably meshing with said first gear, a shaft carrying said second gear, a pair of relatively movable members engageable With said Wrench element for retaining said gears in meshing engagement, spring means acting on said shaft for retaining said lastnamed members in operative position With respect to said Wrench element, and a handle sleeve surrounding said spring means and secured to said shaft.

6. A Wrench comprising a rotatable Wrench element, a gear carried on said element, a second gear releasably meshing with said first gear, a shaft carrying said second gear, a guide member releasably journalled in said Wrench element, a rod carried on said guide member and passing through said shaft, a spring surrounding said rod and acting on said shaft to urge said gears into meshing engagement, and a retaining member carried on said shaft and releasably engageable with the exterior portion of said Wrench element.

7. A Wrench comprising an annular socket member adapted to receive a nut therein and to receive a threaded nut-carrying member therethrough, a guide member removably journalled in said socket member and having an axially disposed recess receiving an intermediate portion of said threaded member therethrough, a gear carried on said socketV member, a second gear releasably meshing With said iirst-named gear and rotatable on an axis angularly spaced from the axis of said socket member, and means carried on said guide member for supporting said second gear.

8. A Wrench comprising a rotatable Wrench element, a gear on said element, driving means for said gear including a second gear releasably meshing With said first gear, and a pair of relatively movable retaining members carried on said driving means and releasably engageable with said Wrench element for confining said gears in meshing engagement, one of said retaining members being laterally separable from 'said Wrench element.

9. A Wrench comprising a rotatable Wrench element, a gear on said element, driving Vmeans for said gear including a second gear releasably meshing with said first gear, a pair of relatively movable retaining members carried on said driving means and releasably engageable with said wrench element for conlining said gears in meshing engagement, and spring means for holding said retaining members in operative engagement With said Wrench element.

l0. A Wrench comprising a rotatable Wrench element having an exterior shoulder, a gear on said element, a second gear releasably meshing with said first gear, means for retaining said gears in meshing engagement including a member having a laterally separable engagement With the shoulder of said Wrench element, an-d means for rotating said second gear.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

WILLIAM B. SMALL. 

